Looking for long lost friends (Billings, Bozeman: neighbourhood, college, income)

[shrimplet]

Hi everyone,

Many years back I was close friends of the Limbert family from Benoni, South Africa. Shelly and Janine Limbert relocated to Montana about 13 years ago,and I wonder if anyone knows them. Janine was/is in the nursing field and an active member of a religious group (Claire Prophet<sp>). Her cousin also lives in Montana and she settled down and had a family. Yes, I know...chances are slim in a state as huge as California, but maybe, just maybe someone reading this forum may know of them

[NYMTman]

Do you know what town in the state they moved to? Or a general area? If so, it might be surprisingly easy to find them... this is a tiny state, population-wise. Montana might be twice the size of the UK, but it has less than 2% of its population :P

[shrimplet]

NYMTman, unfortunately I don't know which town or city they settled in. I only know it would be in the area where this religious group hang out...Claire Prophet. Are you familiar with them

[shrimplet]

I've just looked at Wikipedia and found the following on that religious group they are with:
"The Church Universal and Triumphant is a new religious movement and organization founded by Mark L. Prophet and Elizabeth Clare Prophet. "
Hope that makes it easier somehow

[grizzfan]

The Church Universal Triumphant (or CUT as it was known by the locals) was located on the far side of Hwy 89 South, about ten miles from Gardiner, Montana. Gardiner is just adjacent to the north boarder of Yellowstone Park and the property was on the west side of the Yellowstone River.

I believe that Ms. Prophet is in ailing health; the church is now largely defunct and some of the property has been sold back to the state and private owners. The organization had a less than steller reputation as stewards of the land for starters and some rather outlandish beliefs kept them in the news with the locals.

You should try to locate your friend in Gardiner, Livingston or Bozeman and the surrounding little burgs fi she is still in Montana.

[shrimplet]

Thanks Grizzfan, now I'm even more curious!!!! Please tell me more about this CUT as I remember her being very "into" them, as were her mother and sister. I remember thinking at the time about all this stuff she came out with about twin flames and lots of chanting

Shelly actually met some bloke who was also into this religion and it was when she ran off and married him that I completely lost contact with her. The name she used with her emails at that stage was shellvictory.com but that was a long time ago.

That religious sect or whatever it was had a might powerful impact to lure a whole family all the way from South Africa to a little place in Montana. In the UK no one I know have ever heard of this religion!

I am concerned about her, even more when I tried a few years back to reach her family in South Africa and they have also disappeared, I presume to Montana

Please tell me all you can about thier activities and if you know anyone who had dealings with them....I would be so greatful

[grizzfan]

I'm probably not your best source of information about CUT as, although I am native of Livingston and most familiar with the area, while they were in their zenith I was far away. You might start with the Livingston Enterprise newspaper.

As I remember it, CUT purchased a great number of acres along the Yellowstone River and built underground bunkers for the coming end of the world. Allegedly there were automatic weapons involved for their "defense". While they seemed like nice, pleasant folks, their compound was well guarded and strictly off-limits to non-believers. They operated a cafe across the river on Hwy 89 and I was told the food was good. I drove by there last summer and the cafe appeared to be closed and abandoned.

The got into some legal trouble when one of their underground fuel storage tanks sprung a leak and it all went into the pristine Yellowstone River.

That is about all I know.

The other newspaper that might have information is the Bozeman Chronicle. Much is probably deeply archived, I suspect, and not available on line any longer.

Good luck.

[Reziac]

I did a search on your friends' names, and came up empty

All I remember about the CUT is that there was a lot of controversy when they bought that big chunk of land. There was also some concern because they were big on "donating" all your income and worldly goods to the cult (pretty much the hallmark of a cult-scam, sad to say).

The Moonies bought in the same neighbourhood at about the same time. Seems these cults take the name "Paradise Valley" a bit too literally.

The Moonies were popular with us college kids because for the price of enduring an hour of their nonsense, we'd get a good meal of the most delicious granola you ever tasted. When they stopped giving out granola, their audience dried up in a hurry.

[grizzfan]

Do a Google search on Church Universal and Triumphant.

Several of the articles reference the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and the Billings Gazette articles from the early 90s. You are probably going to have to call them for information.

[shrimplet]

Hi Grizzfan and Reziac,

Your feedback made fascinating reading!! I have googled CUT and read some of their articles. When I last Shelly about 6 years ago she seemed very odd, and did not relate to our past at all, almost as though she didn't know me. Now I realise she was well and truly into this cult movement and she no longer related to real life. All she spoke of was this ranch you mentioned. Her cousin Samantha also made her life in Montana and she too married one of the men involved in CUT and had several children. Unfortunately I don't know her surname.
How absolutely awful that the Yellowstone lake was poisoned :-(
Ironic really as one of the very things that attracted them to Montana was the beauty of the place, and then they their craziness wrecks it!
I had a look at their website which seems to suggest they are still running this ranch and yet there are suggestions the sect no longer exists? Do any of you know for sure?
Once again, thanks so much for taking the time out to help!